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Whatever, I’m looking forward to my Jarvis driver and you can’t take that away from me
LIVE UPDATE THREAD 2019 The Grandaddy with Callaway Golf
Whatever, I’m looking forward to my Jarvis driver and you can’t take that away from me
Alright, alright... It wasn't the margarita; it was the constant state of being full combined with daily heart burn.
Whatever...don't you know the margarita would help? Do as Keith Richards would do and you'll be fine
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2015
- Messages
- 24,445
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- Location
- Southeast, South Dakota
- Handicap
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You sound exactly like me last year. I'd walk in the office, pull one of the clubs out, give it a waggle, roll a few putts and go back and hang with the family.
Heck I still do that with my equipment even a year later.
So my travel day was pretty uneventful thankfully. I hadn’t flown since 1997 so was a bit apprehensive but had great flights.
Leaving out Wichita to Denver. Nice view coming out of Denver over the Rockies
Great view of the Salten Sea heading into San Diego
Had a great chauffeur take me to Carlsbad and get settled into the hotel.
Leaving out Wichita to Denver. Nice view coming out of Denver over the Rockies
Great view of the Salten Sea heading into San Diego
Had a great chauffeur take me to Carlsbad and get settled into the hotel.
After getting settled and meeting all my brothers for the first time in person it was off to HQ for meet and greet and product presentation
This swag bag had to be the coolest thing!! So many goodies in the bag and more was added before we left for the evening
After some product presentation (can’t show or tell you now, that little NDA we signed) I don’t need big guys in dark suits knocking on my door!!! We had some good chow and drinks. Was a great first day and by this point the Adrenalin was running high and I was all smiles
This swag bag had to be the coolest thing!! So many goodies in the bag and more was added before we left for the evening
After some product presentation (can’t show or tell you now, that little NDA we signed) I don’t need big guys in dark suits knocking on my door!!! We had some good chow and drinks. Was a great first day and by this point the Adrenalin was running high and I was all smiles
I would just like to say how much fun it is to continue to follow this thread as the post event updates and thoughts come together and are shared. I know it is such a whirlwind while you are there that it takes a while to settle down and put in perspective for the rest of us, your favorite moments. Awesome reading and even better pictures from all!
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2018
- Messages
- 33,130
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- Location
- Oxford, Mississippi
- Handicap
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Any of you fellas roll a black Tuttle like the one Xander is playing today?
arydolphin
GTHC!
I guess X just wanted to be like the Grandaddy guys....
JMB3 – Recap 2/5: The Zoo Crew and Beyond
Now I get to talk about the people who made this week so special for Team THP.
The Zoo Crew
In my line of work, I’ve learned that you can often get a feel for a company’s culture through the people it employs. Having just spent a week with more than a dozen of its employees, I completely understand the love Grandaddy alums have for Callaway. While the gear is great, it’s the people who make this event—and the company—special.
Before the Grandaddy even kicked off, the Zoo Crew was building excitement for all of us, hopping in the thread to dish out smack talk or “play” each hole (seriously how awesome were Luke’s posts!?), discussing the event in episodes of the ShipShow (listen, like, and subscribe if you haven’t already!), and figuring out how to get 13 of us nervous nellies to SoCal on the busiest travel day of the year—thank you Penny and Carol!
The excitement continued to build from there. Upon arriving at HQ, Finley and Johnny (wearing the belt) met us in the lobby to lead us to the presentation. Before arriving in the studio, though, we—13 internet golfers—received a standing ovation from everyone in the room, sending chills down my spine. The energy was amazing, and at that moment, I realized this was all real.
The product presentations were phenomenal, building excitement for all of us. I know I said this before, but @DNevsCG killed it. He made it so simple to understand the new equipment, and I cannot wait to share what he told us. Luke and Finley were amazing too, even with the hilarious disruptions Sean Toulon provided—holy crap did he make a quick impression!
After the presentations, we headed to the cafeteria where we received YET ANOTHER standing ovation from the Zoo Crew. It was a ton of fun to eat and mingle with all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed looking around and realizing how the Callaway crew immersed themselves amongst us. There was no segregation of teams, and that was true for the bus rides too. The Zoo Crew made a conscious effort to get to know us, which was unbelievably cool.
Just when you thought Day 1 was over, Johnny took us for beers and later in-and-out. I know Finley announced Johnny as the ZC’s AssCap, but he was more like a fun ambassador; he was as much an asset to us as to them, and I’ll get a little more into that in a later recap.
The next day, after our fittings, we headed back to HQ for a Q&A. Of every amazing thing we did all week, this was one of my favorite moments. We were joined by @vgolfman, Austie, Doc, and others, and we just talked Callaway tech in a very informal setting, asking questions from the forum. You could just feel the passion each of these men have for what they do. It was infectious. And I felt like I learned so much from this conversation as well as our R&D tours. I am so excited for the products we will be playing this year and products Callaway will release in the future.
What many of you already know, is that this time of year—with product releases on the horizon—is outrageously busy for the Zoo Crew. I know, in my personal life, that I’ve been accurately accused of “not being present” when I have, for example, a trial coming up. I may be out to dinner but my mind is elsewhere, thinking about arguments or evidence, etc. But NONE of that happened here. I know the ZC was working up to the minute the bus left (a few minutes later for some) and at least some brought work with them for the evenings/morning. But whenever they were with us, the ZC was completely engaged.
I want to thank you all for everything you did this week. Thank you so much, @JasonFinleyCG @Luke WilliamsCG @jeffneubarth @21Gonzo @HeyPeteCG @EthanatorCG @DNevsCG @TonyToulon @Backfordstabber @MbrowningCG @TylerSheanCG @StevenS_CG @JohnnyRodCG. Because of each of you, we all had a week we will never forget.
Al and the Hideaway Hosts
Anyone who has followed the Grandaddy knows that Al is a legend. It takes a truly amazing person to invite a bunch of internet strangers into his breathtaking home and play at his immaculate course. I was lucky to play in a foursome with Al. All round long he made sure Snicks and I had everything we needed and then some. He was constantly ordering us drinks and food. He cheered our good shots, encouraged us after bad shots, and was always ready with a joke. He also made sure Snicks and I stopped and looked around. He made sure we saw all that there was to see on the Clive, and I could not be happier that he did. Because of Al, I snapped this video:
Just breathtaking.
On Day 2, we had Cary, a fellow Wisconsinite. He was incredibly down to earth and a blast to play with. Like Al, he’s also a phenomenal golfer.
In addition to our hosts, The Hideaway’s pro and her staff were simply unreal. All round long, even in the rain, staff was driving around handing out blueberry vodka lemonades. Where else in the world do you get that level of service?
The Caddies
This week was the first time I’ve ever played with caddies. And, sadly, I don’t think any future caddies will live up to Harold and Rafe. Harold is a college golfer with loads of positive energy. He’s always smiling and sprinting around the course—dude is in serious shape. I’m a pathetic golfer compared to Harold, but we bonded.
The same is true for Rafe. Singles day was a STRUGGLE but Rafe was there giving me positive advice and making sure I was having a good time. After one of my best shots from the round, a long 8i from a fairway bunker, Rafe literally gave me a bear hug, lifting me off the ground. That dude was just so cool.
In sum, every single person involved in this event made it what it was. And I'm grateful for each and every one of them.
Next Up: The Tour Pro Treatment
Now I get to talk about the people who made this week so special for Team THP.
The Zoo Crew
In my line of work, I’ve learned that you can often get a feel for a company’s culture through the people it employs. Having just spent a week with more than a dozen of its employees, I completely understand the love Grandaddy alums have for Callaway. While the gear is great, it’s the people who make this event—and the company—special.
Before the Grandaddy even kicked off, the Zoo Crew was building excitement for all of us, hopping in the thread to dish out smack talk or “play” each hole (seriously how awesome were Luke’s posts!?), discussing the event in episodes of the ShipShow (listen, like, and subscribe if you haven’t already!), and figuring out how to get 13 of us nervous nellies to SoCal on the busiest travel day of the year—thank you Penny and Carol!
The excitement continued to build from there. Upon arriving at HQ, Finley and Johnny (wearing the belt) met us in the lobby to lead us to the presentation. Before arriving in the studio, though, we—13 internet golfers—received a standing ovation from everyone in the room, sending chills down my spine. The energy was amazing, and at that moment, I realized this was all real.
The product presentations were phenomenal, building excitement for all of us. I know I said this before, but @DNevsCG killed it. He made it so simple to understand the new equipment, and I cannot wait to share what he told us. Luke and Finley were amazing too, even with the hilarious disruptions Sean Toulon provided—holy crap did he make a quick impression!
After the presentations, we headed to the cafeteria where we received YET ANOTHER standing ovation from the Zoo Crew. It was a ton of fun to eat and mingle with all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed looking around and realizing how the Callaway crew immersed themselves amongst us. There was no segregation of teams, and that was true for the bus rides too. The Zoo Crew made a conscious effort to get to know us, which was unbelievably cool.
Just when you thought Day 1 was over, Johnny took us for beers and later in-and-out. I know Finley announced Johnny as the ZC’s AssCap, but he was more like a fun ambassador; he was as much an asset to us as to them, and I’ll get a little more into that in a later recap.
The next day, after our fittings, we headed back to HQ for a Q&A. Of every amazing thing we did all week, this was one of my favorite moments. We were joined by @vgolfman, Austie, Doc, and others, and we just talked Callaway tech in a very informal setting, asking questions from the forum. You could just feel the passion each of these men have for what they do. It was infectious. And I felt like I learned so much from this conversation as well as our R&D tours. I am so excited for the products we will be playing this year and products Callaway will release in the future.
What many of you already know, is that this time of year—with product releases on the horizon—is outrageously busy for the Zoo Crew. I know, in my personal life, that I’ve been accurately accused of “not being present” when I have, for example, a trial coming up. I may be out to dinner but my mind is elsewhere, thinking about arguments or evidence, etc. But NONE of that happened here. I know the ZC was working up to the minute the bus left (a few minutes later for some
) and at least some brought work with them for the evenings/morning. But whenever they were with us, the ZC was completely engaged.I want to thank you all for everything you did this week. Thank you so much, @JasonFinleyCG @Luke WilliamsCG @jeffneubarth @21Gonzo @HeyPeteCG @EthanatorCG @DNevsCG @TonyToulon @Backfordstabber @MbrowningCG @TylerSheanCG @StevenS_CG @JohnnyRodCG. Because of each of you, we all had a week we will never forget.
Al and the Hideaway Hosts
Anyone who has followed the Grandaddy knows that Al is a legend. It takes a truly amazing person to invite a bunch of internet strangers into his breathtaking home and play at his immaculate course. I was lucky to play in a foursome with Al. All round long he made sure Snicks and I had everything we needed and then some. He was constantly ordering us drinks and food. He cheered our good shots, encouraged us after bad shots, and was always ready with a joke. He also made sure Snicks and I stopped and looked around. He made sure we saw all that there was to see on the Clive, and I could not be happier that he did. Because of Al, I snapped this video:
Just breathtaking.
On Day 2, we had Cary, a fellow Wisconsinite. He was incredibly down to earth and a blast to play with. Like Al, he’s also a phenomenal golfer.
In addition to our hosts, The Hideaway’s pro and her staff were simply unreal. All round long, even in the rain, staff was driving around handing out blueberry vodka lemonades. Where else in the world do you get that level of service?
The Caddies
This week was the first time I’ve ever played with caddies. And, sadly, I don’t think any future caddies will live up to Harold and Rafe. Harold is a college golfer with loads of positive energy. He’s always smiling and sprinting around the course—dude is in serious shape. I’m a pathetic golfer compared to Harold, but we bonded.
The same is true for Rafe. Singles day was a STRUGGLE but Rafe was there giving me positive advice and making sure I was having a good time. After one of my best shots from the round, a long 8i from a fairway bunker, Rafe literally gave me a bear hug, lifting me off the ground. That dude was just so cool.
In sum, every single person involved in this event made it what it was. And I'm grateful for each and every one of them.
Next Up: The Tour Pro Treatment
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There was no way I was going to get a good night sleep before this day. Full of nerves and hurting from the night before. I was up, again, at least an hour before my wake up call was scheduled. I got up, dressed in the predetermined scripting of the day and went down to the lobby to meet up with the team.
Got some words of advice from @mikeg_74
Then, we were off to the course. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a nervous wreck at this point. My swing was not with me in my fitting and it rattled me a bit. I was about to be bestowed a bag full of brand new unreleased gear and play a golf course so far above anything I have played in the past. Play with a bunch of Callaway guys, a host, and with a caddie. A whole bunch of new experiences.
We got to the course and it was more beautiful than I thought it would be. The weather was not the best. As you know, it rained off and on the entire time we were there that day. We were escorted to a room where breakfast sliders, parfaits, and much needed coffee was awaiting us. Yes, the sliders are amazing!
From here, we were shown the locker room and pro shop. Tried to do a little shopping and picked up a few things. The nerves were in full swing at this point. I didn't even think of snagging pictures of the proshop or the merchandise. I didn't do too much damage at this point. We hadn't even seen our clubs yet.
Once we got outside and I met @McLovin at the range, it was go time. The gear was on the cart in all it's glory. Grabbed the bag off the cart and proceeded to hit some shots to get a feel for it. Felt amazing to be hitting the same clubs we were just fit for the day before. The swing felt better than it had the day before during the fitting so there was a little progress in that regard. This was really the first time I had a chance to "feel" the clubs outside of the fitting. It was an odd satisfaction. It was just a cool moment I had to myself where I couldn't stop smiling. I tried to focus as much as I could on my driver as it was causing me the most fits during the fitting. Man, did it feel good.
@McLovin and I were paired together and were playing against @HeyPeteCG and @EthanatorCG our main man @LaQuintaLooper was going to be our caddie and Lars was going to be hosting us.
I have to point out how amazing these hosts are. They seem to love this even just as much as we do. Full of questions about the forum, the contests, and the world of an internet golfer. They are all so down to earth.
We started on hole 16 of the Clive course. That complex can be a bit of a zoo if you don’t know where you are going, lol. I was driving and Cap was going to be doing the updates. It didn’t take more than a minute for us to get lost. When I say us, I mean me J The best part is, the paths are so narrow that you can’t really just turn around. This was pretty much me after making my first of many wrong turns that day. But, good lord, this course was beautiful. Every hole was just it's own entity. You could not see any of the other holes. When you were on a hole, it was visually the only thing that had your focus.
Both of our matches ended up being close with Cap and I not pulling in any points. But, that is not due to any lack of effort on McLovin’s side. I did not play well and Cap tried to hoist me up on his shoulders and carry us to victory. He was hitting some amazing shots. His driver was pretty dang consistent for the most part. I was really impressed with a lot of his wedge shots. I really only found success off the tee with my driving iron.
I wish I would have taken some more pictures. But, with as wet as it was, I didn’t have my phone out of the cart much. I was trying to shed layers as often as I could. It seemed each time it would let up long enough to take off my rain jacket, it would start up again forcing me to put it back on again. I even used both rain gloves for the first time in my life.
But, poor weather and poor play on my part aside, the round was a blast. @HeyPeteCG and @EthanatorCG were both great playing partners. Lars did not join us in play due to the weather. But, he was an amazing source of course knowledge and just an overall pleasure to be around.
When we got done with our round, daylight was running thin and they had decided to cut the horse race down from 4 holes to just 1. It was so cool. Johnny was on the mic getting in everyone’s heads. Music was playing, everyone was laughing and having a blast as everyone was attempting to get off the tee unscathed. There were some poor shots made, there were some great ones made. This is where the highlight of my day came in. I had struggled so bad but I was dead set on hitting a tee shot in this scenario. I watched everyone on my team get drawn with a ZooCrew member and seen all of the tee shots before it came down to just me and my man @Luke WilliamsCG. He draws the name, turns and looks at me and says, “Radiman!” I had my Epic Forged out and teed it up. At that point, all of the noise turned into a mumble. I don’t have any idea what Johnny was saying on the mic. I put the tee in the ground and tried to start my swing before I could even think about any of that. I took the club back and swung as hard as I could. I am pretty sure my heart stopped for a brief moment as I just prayed, “please go straight, please go straight.” I looked up and saw the ball just cutting through the air. Was a beautiful tight fade that just split the fairway. Good God, that Epic Forged is amazing. That shot under those circumstances really made up for a lot of the poor shots I hit through the day. I swear, Lars was more excited about it than I was. Followed it up with a chest bump with my guy Luke.
The horse race was such an awesome addition and I really hope it continues in the future.
Later that evening, we had some pretty solid Mexican food and some giant Margaritas. I had a chance to sit down with Ian @Backfordstabber and had a pretty good discussion on Soda Pops with @JMB3 . Followed that up with a much briefer visit to the Nest than the night before and it was time to turn in for day 2 at The Hideaway.
I was at the Nest the second night basically long enough to take this picture. I already did my time
Got some words of advice from @mikeg_74
Then, we were off to the course. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a nervous wreck at this point. My swing was not with me in my fitting and it rattled me a bit. I was about to be bestowed a bag full of brand new unreleased gear and play a golf course so far above anything I have played in the past. Play with a bunch of Callaway guys, a host, and with a caddie. A whole bunch of new experiences.
We got to the course and it was more beautiful than I thought it would be. The weather was not the best. As you know, it rained off and on the entire time we were there that day. We were escorted to a room where breakfast sliders, parfaits, and much needed coffee was awaiting us. Yes, the sliders are amazing!
From here, we were shown the locker room and pro shop. Tried to do a little shopping and picked up a few things. The nerves were in full swing at this point. I didn't even think of snagging pictures of the proshop or the merchandise. I didn't do too much damage at this point. We hadn't even seen our clubs yet.
Once we got outside and I met @McLovin at the range, it was go time. The gear was on the cart in all it's glory. Grabbed the bag off the cart and proceeded to hit some shots to get a feel for it. Felt amazing to be hitting the same clubs we were just fit for the day before. The swing felt better than it had the day before during the fitting so there was a little progress in that regard. This was really the first time I had a chance to "feel" the clubs outside of the fitting. It was an odd satisfaction. It was just a cool moment I had to myself where I couldn't stop smiling. I tried to focus as much as I could on my driver as it was causing me the most fits during the fitting. Man, did it feel good.
@McLovin and I were paired together and were playing against @HeyPeteCG and @EthanatorCG our main man @LaQuintaLooper was going to be our caddie and Lars was going to be hosting us.
I have to point out how amazing these hosts are. They seem to love this even just as much as we do. Full of questions about the forum, the contests, and the world of an internet golfer. They are all so down to earth.
We started on hole 16 of the Clive course. That complex can be a bit of a zoo if you don’t know where you are going, lol. I was driving and Cap was going to be doing the updates. It didn’t take more than a minute for us to get lost. When I say us, I mean me J The best part is, the paths are so narrow that you can’t really just turn around. This was pretty much me after making my first of many wrong turns that day. But, good lord, this course was beautiful. Every hole was just it's own entity. You could not see any of the other holes. When you were on a hole, it was visually the only thing that had your focus.
Both of our matches ended up being close with Cap and I not pulling in any points. But, that is not due to any lack of effort on McLovin’s side. I did not play well and Cap tried to hoist me up on his shoulders and carry us to victory. He was hitting some amazing shots. His driver was pretty dang consistent for the most part. I was really impressed with a lot of his wedge shots. I really only found success off the tee with my driving iron.
I wish I would have taken some more pictures. But, with as wet as it was, I didn’t have my phone out of the cart much. I was trying to shed layers as often as I could. It seemed each time it would let up long enough to take off my rain jacket, it would start up again forcing me to put it back on again. I even used both rain gloves for the first time in my life.
But, poor weather and poor play on my part aside, the round was a blast. @HeyPeteCG and @EthanatorCG were both great playing partners. Lars did not join us in play due to the weather. But, he was an amazing source of course knowledge and just an overall pleasure to be around.
When we got done with our round, daylight was running thin and they had decided to cut the horse race down from 4 holes to just 1. It was so cool. Johnny was on the mic getting in everyone’s heads. Music was playing, everyone was laughing and having a blast as everyone was attempting to get off the tee unscathed. There were some poor shots made, there were some great ones made. This is where the highlight of my day came in. I had struggled so bad but I was dead set on hitting a tee shot in this scenario. I watched everyone on my team get drawn with a ZooCrew member and seen all of the tee shots before it came down to just me and my man @Luke WilliamsCG. He draws the name, turns and looks at me and says, “Radiman!” I had my Epic Forged out and teed it up. At that point, all of the noise turned into a mumble. I don’t have any idea what Johnny was saying on the mic. I put the tee in the ground and tried to start my swing before I could even think about any of that. I took the club back and swung as hard as I could. I am pretty sure my heart stopped for a brief moment as I just prayed, “please go straight, please go straight.” I looked up and saw the ball just cutting through the air. Was a beautiful tight fade that just split the fairway. Good God, that Epic Forged is amazing. That shot under those circumstances really made up for a lot of the poor shots I hit through the day. I swear, Lars was more excited about it than I was. Followed it up with a chest bump with my guy Luke.
The horse race was such an awesome addition and I really hope it continues in the future.
Later that evening, we had some pretty solid Mexican food and some giant Margaritas. I had a chance to sit down with Ian @Backfordstabber and had a pretty good discussion on Soda Pops with @JMB3 . Followed that up with a much briefer visit to the Nest than the night before and it was time to turn in for day 2 at The Hideaway.
I was at the Nest the second night basically long enough to take this picture. I already did my time
Attachments
That’s insane...especially for you.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2015
- Messages
- 2,453
- Reaction score
- 2,755
- Handicap
- 16
Day 1 Part 2/2
After the fitting it was back to the Callaway HQ for lunch, a tour, and QA session with the with some of the team. First was the QA and lunch. In my world we would call this an expensive meeting, meaning that leaders from across multiple groups were all there and dropped everything just to answer our questions. I was not expecting so many additional Callaway folks would join us, It was fantastic.
We pretty much had an open forum to ask anything we wanted as it pertained to Callaway, and Golf in general. Have questions about the ball, sure, we have one of the guys who designed it Dave, along with @JasonFinleyCG . Want to know about future of fitting and fitting data, @vgolfman was there. Putters, why not, @Luke WilliamsCG was there as well as one of the key engineers, Austie, who lead the design of putters and inserts. Oh and if that's not enough, @DNevsCG and Doc Hock are there to answer any question possible about clubs, designs, and manufacturing.
While I'd love to share all of it, that will have to wait until another day, but it was great to hear straight from the source on a variety of topics. I asked a few questions about <redacted> and the future of <redacted>. Additionally I had questions about the biggest needle mover when a staffer wins a tournament, as suspected it seemed the answer was putters, followed by golf balls. There were a lot of great questions and comments over lunch and with that complete it was on to the tour.
As you can probably imagine, this is one of the more locked down parts of the whole event given the extremely proprietary processes and equipment. No phones, safety glasses, the works. We got a glimpse of the development and manufacturing process of the golf balls first. Being able to see the process from start to finish was pretty eye opening, and the care that Callaway takes to manufacture balls is an amazing feat of engineering. Makes you appreciate the level of effort just to create a single ball, let alone 10s of thousands of day. We got the inside story of the creation of the chrome soft, Phil's first reaction to it, along with all sorts of other bits of knowledge from cores to paint, and the effect of water.
After the manufacturing part was over, it was time for the BALL CANNON!!!!!. So much fun. They essentially were able to create any swing profile , altitude, and weather condition possible to test how each ball would perform. From low speed player, to tour pro, they are able to calculate almost any scenario. I honestly don't remember how much more we were able to disclose, so I'll cut things off here, but just know that is was as cool as you would imagine. Sadly nobody was willing to take the Happy Gilmore challenge.
The last part of the tour was the prototyping/design lab for clubs. As you would imagine, they had everything under the sun in terms of manufacturing equipment. We got a glimpse of few prototypes being milled, some of the historic prototypes, along with a couple glimpses of the future of manufacturing, from creating different feels to designing a different sound profile with all sorts of advanced engineering methods. It makes you realize there is probably a lot more secret or modified clubs out there on tour that are being tested all the time.
After being in learning mode for most of the afternoon it was time to head to Palm Springs. The bus ride seems like its always one of the highlights from all the past Grandaddy trips and this year was no different. We all packed up our bags, loaded up the bus, and hopped on board. @EthanatorCG otherwise known as C.R.O - Chief Refreshment Officer had prepped the bus as if were driving all the way to Augusta rather than just Palm Springs. We had anything you could ever need for the trip and it was at that point @j_sizzle9 broke out the Grandaddy bus ride coozies, which was a nice touch.
The bus ride down was such a great way to just hangout with the THP team and the Zoo crew. There was a constant rotation of seats and conversations, some were about golf, some about life, and others were just a holy sh*t this is really happening chat. After the great bus ride, we made it to the hotel for a literal pit crew change of clothes and it was back on the bus and off to Al's house. Well it was for 92% of Team THP. After a team headcount, we got about 5 minutes down the road, when we realized we were down 1. We left @j_sizzle9 at the hotel!!! How we could leave Sizzle, well that was a team effort too, literally nobody noticed until the collective Home Alone moment. Now I could see how something like that would get someone a bit ruffled, not Sizzle, that guy literally slid into Al's house 5 min after us and somehow had a drink in his hand and smile on his face before I even found the bar.
Al's house is ridiculous, you've seen it already from many of the other photos so I won't rehash all of that, but letting 13 random golfers from the internet into your home and treating them like they are your kids home for thanksgiving goes to show you what kind of a guy Al is. He greeted us all with a big hug and welcomed us into his home. Inside we met the rest our hosts for the week including Al's wife and had a few drinks (well poured I might add). We chatted about what was in store for the next few days and how special this event was to the members as well. You could tell that they all genuinely loved this event and being able to share the hideaway with us from a few days.
From there it was onto the meal, an Italian spread that made me feel right at home. I shared a table with some of the members as well as @radiman , @StevenS_CG S and @jeffneubarth . We had a great conversation about the whole fitting that we went through, @StevenS_CG ‘s stint on the touring Callaway demo bus and came to find out he had been to my home range and shop and knew exactly the spot in which I practiced regularly to get ready for the Grandaddy. After dinner it was time for the announcement of the matchups the next day as well a few speeches from Al, @McLovin , @JasonFinleyCG and a possibly not pre-warned @21Gonzo . Good job Lex, you didn't miss a beat.
I wrapped up the night with a couple more drinks and had a nice conversation with @HeyPeteCG and @21Gonzo before it was time to hop on the bus. Once we made it back to the hotel, we hung out in the lobby for a bit and talked about music with @TonyToulon , but I made the game time decision to take a pass on the pre-nest and call it a night.
After the fitting it was back to the Callaway HQ for lunch, a tour, and QA session with the with some of the team. First was the QA and lunch. In my world we would call this an expensive meeting, meaning that leaders from across multiple groups were all there and dropped everything just to answer our questions. I was not expecting so many additional Callaway folks would join us, It was fantastic.
We pretty much had an open forum to ask anything we wanted as it pertained to Callaway, and Golf in general. Have questions about the ball, sure, we have one of the guys who designed it Dave, along with @JasonFinleyCG . Want to know about future of fitting and fitting data, @vgolfman was there. Putters, why not, @Luke WilliamsCG was there as well as one of the key engineers, Austie, who lead the design of putters and inserts. Oh and if that's not enough, @DNevsCG and Doc Hock are there to answer any question possible about clubs, designs, and manufacturing.
While I'd love to share all of it, that will have to wait until another day, but it was great to hear straight from the source on a variety of topics. I asked a few questions about <redacted> and the future of <redacted>. Additionally I had questions about the biggest needle mover when a staffer wins a tournament, as suspected it seemed the answer was putters, followed by golf balls. There were a lot of great questions and comments over lunch and with that complete it was on to the tour.
As you can probably imagine, this is one of the more locked down parts of the whole event given the extremely proprietary processes and equipment. No phones, safety glasses, the works. We got a glimpse of the development and manufacturing process of the golf balls first. Being able to see the process from start to finish was pretty eye opening, and the care that Callaway takes to manufacture balls is an amazing feat of engineering. Makes you appreciate the level of effort just to create a single ball, let alone 10s of thousands of day. We got the inside story of the creation of the chrome soft, Phil's first reaction to it, along with all sorts of other bits of knowledge from cores to paint, and the effect of water.
After the manufacturing part was over, it was time for the BALL CANNON!!!!!. So much fun. They essentially were able to create any swing profile , altitude, and weather condition possible to test how each ball would perform. From low speed player, to tour pro, they are able to calculate almost any scenario. I honestly don't remember how much more we were able to disclose, so I'll cut things off here, but just know that is was as cool as you would imagine. Sadly nobody was willing to take the Happy Gilmore challenge.
The last part of the tour was the prototyping/design lab for clubs. As you would imagine, they had everything under the sun in terms of manufacturing equipment. We got a glimpse of few prototypes being milled, some of the historic prototypes, along with a couple glimpses of the future of manufacturing, from creating different feels to designing a different sound profile with all sorts of advanced engineering methods. It makes you realize there is probably a lot more secret or modified clubs out there on tour that are being tested all the time.
After being in learning mode for most of the afternoon it was time to head to Palm Springs. The bus ride seems like its always one of the highlights from all the past Grandaddy trips and this year was no different. We all packed up our bags, loaded up the bus, and hopped on board. @EthanatorCG otherwise known as C.R.O - Chief Refreshment Officer had prepped the bus as if were driving all the way to Augusta rather than just Palm Springs. We had anything you could ever need for the trip and it was at that point @j_sizzle9 broke out the Grandaddy bus ride coozies, which was a nice touch.
The bus ride down was such a great way to just hangout with the THP team and the Zoo crew. There was a constant rotation of seats and conversations, some were about golf, some about life, and others were just a holy sh*t this is really happening chat. After the great bus ride, we made it to the hotel for a literal pit crew change of clothes and it was back on the bus and off to Al's house. Well it was for 92% of Team THP. After a team headcount, we got about 5 minutes down the road, when we realized we were down 1. We left @j_sizzle9 at the hotel!!! How we could leave Sizzle, well that was a team effort too, literally nobody noticed until the collective Home Alone moment. Now I could see how something like that would get someone a bit ruffled, not Sizzle, that guy literally slid into Al's house 5 min after us and somehow had a drink in his hand and smile on his face before I even found the bar.
Al's house is ridiculous, you've seen it already from many of the other photos so I won't rehash all of that, but letting 13 random golfers from the internet into your home and treating them like they are your kids home for thanksgiving goes to show you what kind of a guy Al is. He greeted us all with a big hug and welcomed us into his home. Inside we met the rest our hosts for the week including Al's wife and had a few drinks (well poured I might add). We chatted about what was in store for the next few days and how special this event was to the members as well. You could tell that they all genuinely loved this event and being able to share the hideaway with us from a few days.
From there it was onto the meal, an Italian spread that made me feel right at home. I shared a table with some of the members as well as @radiman , @StevenS_CG S and @jeffneubarth . We had a great conversation about the whole fitting that we went through, @StevenS_CG ‘s stint on the touring Callaway demo bus and came to find out he had been to my home range and shop and knew exactly the spot in which I practiced regularly to get ready for the Grandaddy. After dinner it was time for the announcement of the matchups the next day as well a few speeches from Al, @McLovin , @JasonFinleyCG and a possibly not pre-warned @21Gonzo . Good job Lex, you didn't miss a beat.
I wrapped up the night with a couple more drinks and had a nice conversation with @HeyPeteCG and @21Gonzo before it was time to hop on the bus. Once we made it back to the hotel, we hung out in the lobby for a bit and talked about music with @TonyToulon , but I made the game time decision to take a pass on the pre-nest and call it a night.
@Snickerdoodle @JMB3 @clarkgriswold
Thank you for the recaps. I love reading how this event unfolds from different perspectives.
Thank you for the recaps. I love reading how this event unfolds from different perspectives.
Hard to believe the last day of The Grandaddy 2019 was a week ago.
But that also means the 2020 Grandaddy is another week closer..... #lookingonthebrightside
Was there any Kenny Loggins playing in the background during driver fittings?
Love coming back for the recaps. You guys did, and continue to do, a great job!
Day 3 - Hideaway
We knew that rain was imminent for Wednesday, but nothing was going to temper our excitement for getting to the Hideaway and experiencing everything that was in front of us. Luckily, I never had issues sleeping, but woke up at 5:30 am every morning. I'm actually surprised it wasn't earlier, but glad it was that time as several of the days I was able to call the family as they were heading to school. It was nice to have the two hours to just relax and take my time getting ready, and some time to try and catch up on the live thread. Many have said it, but it is so incredibly difficult to do much of anything in the live thread aside from posting what we were doing. There's very little down time and you try to use some of that to dig back through the thread and answer questions, but if someone didn't tag you, specifically, it was more than likely to get missed. Thankfully, now I'm having an opportunity to go back through it and read all the comments. Good stuff.
Today's scripting was a TM outfit, and it was very nice. The polo is very lightweight, and I could tell that it would be quick drying, based on how thin it was. The light blue 1/4 zip was thick enough to keep you warm, but not too heavy that you feel weighted down. I grabbed my rain jacket as well since we're expecting to get wet. I had brought some slacks, but opted to stick with shorts since the temps weren't supposed to get too low during the day, even with the rain.
We met down in the lobby and chatted for a bit until it was time to load up and head to the Hideaway.
@zbeekner4 @JMB3 @clarkgriswold @radiman
@HarryPotter @zbeekner4 @JMB3 @clarkgriswold
@NoShanks
@McLovin
Loaded up the bus and began our short 15 or so minute drive to the club.
@HeyPeteCG
There's dozens of pictures over the years of the various teams when they arrive, but it was interesting how the bus got this quiet calm when we made the turn off the road and approached the guard house. Even in the rain, it was still an impressive sight.
We pulled up to the clubhouse, unloaded, and made our way up to the room where breakfast was waiting. I grabbed some coffee along with a couple sliders. I know that several of my teammates can't believe my view on this, but (and don't misread what I'm typing)....the sliders are delicious, but I really think that they attain "heavenly" status because of where you're eating them. Don't @ me.
After breakfast we were free to look around, hit the pro shop, and then get out to the carts and the range. I made a quick run through the pro shop, made a small purchase, and headed to the locker room to change shoes and get to the range.
@zbeekner4 already had the cart over at the range, so once I found our cart, was able to finally see our new Fusion 14 bags with our screen names on them. They were nice enough to put plastic sheeting over the tops of the bags to try and keep everything dry. As I was digging through all my new clubs, I noticed that my 9i and 52* wedge was missing. Talked to Tyler and he said that they would try to overnight them to me so I could have it Thursday. Twelve sets of brand new clubs built and driven 3 hrs to the desert...if everything had been absolutely perfect, I would have been astonished. So, it was no big deal, and they were doing everything they could to get it taken care of. So, that day I just had two minor gaps and my set was 8i - PW - AW - 56*. As I'm not a fantastic golfer, I don't have distances dialed in like many others on the team, so it wasn't a huge deal and I actually did well (I think) of filling in the gaps.
Got a few clubs out and walked over to an open spot on the range to start warming up. After a few swings of the driver that were less than stellar, Danny (Hideaway host) walked up and offered some advise about my swing. He had some good things to suggest and I feel like it helped me to refocus on the key things of my swing. Semi lessons from Nick and Danny in back to back days...can't say that I can complain about that.
@zbeekner4 rolling a few putts.
As the time to start approached, we were all called together to get the rundown for the day.
Zack was my partner for the first day, and I felt comfortable knowing that I had someone that could keep us in it when my shots went too crazy. He was very considerate and offered feedback on shots if I wanted it, but didn't push it, which is always a downer when someone tries to point out everything you did wrong. Zack was the opposite. Always was supportive and cheered all the good shots, even though there weren't as many as hoped on the front nine.
We were paired up with @TylerSheanCG and @Backfordstabber. We knew we'd have our hands full as they are both long hitters. I came out with some really good shots / putts on the first two holes (we started on 17) to up 2 in best ball, then we struggled a bit on the front with shamble, but came back around on the rest of the back to win the point for that 9.
@Backfordstabber found himself in a precarious spot here...but made a great shot to get out, if I remember correctly.
@zbeekner4 hit this shot and didn't disrupt a blade of grass
Never a reason for anything other than a smile....
We finished up the 18 and everyone gathered back up for the horse race. This is something that even though Ian and I were out quickly, it was a blast to be part of. I hope this remains part of the Grandaddy in future years.
After the horse race and @bigskyirish's win, we headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. It was a great time of some Mexican food and just enjoying the people that were there. Pairings were announced for Thursday's singles match. I was matched up with @21Gonzo, and would be in the foursome with @McLovin and @JasonFinleyCG, so I'd get to witness the battle of the Captains.
It was a wet, but amazing day. Sun was on tap for Thursday, so I was looking forward to that, but sad that it had only been what seemed like a few minutes and we were nearing the end of our week. Can't thank THP and Callaway enough.
We knew that rain was imminent for Wednesday, but nothing was going to temper our excitement for getting to the Hideaway and experiencing everything that was in front of us. Luckily, I never had issues sleeping, but woke up at 5:30 am every morning. I'm actually surprised it wasn't earlier, but glad it was that time as several of the days I was able to call the family as they were heading to school. It was nice to have the two hours to just relax and take my time getting ready, and some time to try and catch up on the live thread. Many have said it, but it is so incredibly difficult to do much of anything in the live thread aside from posting what we were doing. There's very little down time and you try to use some of that to dig back through the thread and answer questions, but if someone didn't tag you, specifically, it was more than likely to get missed. Thankfully, now I'm having an opportunity to go back through it and read all the comments. Good stuff.
Today's scripting was a TM outfit, and it was very nice. The polo is very lightweight, and I could tell that it would be quick drying, based on how thin it was. The light blue 1/4 zip was thick enough to keep you warm, but not too heavy that you feel weighted down. I grabbed my rain jacket as well since we're expecting to get wet. I had brought some slacks, but opted to stick with shorts since the temps weren't supposed to get too low during the day, even with the rain.
We met down in the lobby and chatted for a bit until it was time to load up and head to the Hideaway.
@zbeekner4 @JMB3 @clarkgriswold @radiman
@HarryPotter @zbeekner4 @JMB3 @clarkgriswold
@NoShanks
@McLovin
Loaded up the bus and began our short 15 or so minute drive to the club.
@HeyPeteCG
There's dozens of pictures over the years of the various teams when they arrive, but it was interesting how the bus got this quiet calm when we made the turn off the road and approached the guard house. Even in the rain, it was still an impressive sight.
We pulled up to the clubhouse, unloaded, and made our way up to the room where breakfast was waiting. I grabbed some coffee along with a couple sliders. I know that several of my teammates can't believe my view on this, but (and don't misread what I'm typing)....the sliders are delicious, but I really think that they attain "heavenly" status because of where you're eating them.
Don't @ me.After breakfast we were free to look around, hit the pro shop, and then get out to the carts and the range. I made a quick run through the pro shop, made a small purchase, and headed to the locker room to change shoes and get to the range.
@zbeekner4 already had the cart over at the range, so once I found our cart, was able to finally see our new Fusion 14 bags with our screen names on them. They were nice enough to put plastic sheeting over the tops of the bags to try and keep everything dry. As I was digging through all my new clubs, I noticed that my 9i and 52* wedge was missing. Talked to Tyler and he said that they would try to overnight them to me so I could have it Thursday. Twelve sets of brand new clubs built and driven 3 hrs to the desert...if everything had been absolutely perfect, I would have been astonished. So, it was no big deal, and they were doing everything they could to get it taken care of. So, that day I just had two minor gaps and my set was 8i - PW - AW - 56*. As I'm not a fantastic golfer, I don't have distances dialed in like many others on the team, so it wasn't a huge deal and I actually did well (I think) of filling in the gaps.
Got a few clubs out and walked over to an open spot on the range to start warming up. After a few swings of the driver that were less than stellar, Danny (Hideaway host) walked up and offered some advise about my swing. He had some good things to suggest and I feel like it helped me to refocus on the key things of my swing. Semi lessons from Nick and Danny in back to back days...can't say that I can complain about that.
@zbeekner4 rolling a few putts.
As the time to start approached, we were all called together to get the rundown for the day.
Zack was my partner for the first day, and I felt comfortable knowing that I had someone that could keep us in it when my shots went too crazy. He was very considerate and offered feedback on shots if I wanted it, but didn't push it, which is always a downer when someone tries to point out everything you did wrong. Zack was the opposite. Always was supportive and cheered all the good shots, even though there weren't as many as hoped on the front nine.
We were paired up with @TylerSheanCG and @Backfordstabber. We knew we'd have our hands full as they are both long hitters. I came out with some really good shots / putts on the first two holes (we started on 17) to up 2 in best ball, then we struggled a bit on the front with shamble, but came back around on the rest of the back to win the point for that 9.
@Backfordstabber found himself in a precarious spot here...but made a great shot to get out, if I remember correctly.
@zbeekner4 hit this shot and didn't disrupt a blade of grass
Never a reason for anything other than a smile....
We finished up the 18 and everyone gathered back up for the horse race. This is something that even though Ian and I were out quickly, it was a blast to be part of. I hope this remains part of the Grandaddy in future years.
After the horse race and @bigskyirish's win, we headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. It was a great time of some Mexican food and just enjoying the people that were there. Pairings were announced for Thursday's singles match. I was matched up with @21Gonzo, and would be in the foursome with @McLovin and @JasonFinleyCG, so I'd get to witness the battle of the Captains.
It was a wet, but amazing day. Sun was on tap for Thursday, so I was looking forward to that, but sad that it had only been what seemed like a few minutes and we were nearing the end of our week. Can't thank THP and Callaway enough.
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Great recap and some awesome photos!Day 3 - Hideaway
We knew that rain was imminent for Wednesday, but nothing was going to temper our excitement for getting to the Hideaway and experiencing everything that was in front of us. Luckily, I never had issues sleeping, but woke up at 5:30 am every morning. I'm actually surprised it wasn't earlier, but glad it was that time as several of the days I was able to call the family as they were heading to school. It was nice to have the two hours to just relax and take my time getting ready, and some time to try and catch up on the live thread. Many have said it, but it is so incredibly difficult to do much of anything in the live thread aside from posting what we were doing. There's very little down time and you try to use some of that to dig back through the thread and answer questions, but if someone didn't tag you, specifically, it was more than likely to get missed. Thankfully, now I'm having an opportunity to go back through it and read all the comments. Good stuff.
Today's scripting was a TM outfit, and it was very nice. The polo is very lightweight, and I could tell that it would be quick drying, based on how thin it was. The light blue 1/4 zip was thick enough to keep you warm, but not too heavy that you feel weighted down. I grabbed my rain jacket as well since we're expecting to get wet. I had brought some slacks, but opted to stick with shorts since the temps weren't supposed to get too low during the day, even with the rain.
We met down in the lobby and chatted for a bit until it was time to load up and head to the Hideaway.
View attachment 8918782
@zbeekner4 @JMB3 @clarkgriswold @radiman
View attachment 8918783
@HarryPotter @zbeekner4 @JMB3 @clarkgriswold
View attachment 8918785
@NoShanks
View attachment 8918786
@McLovin
Loaded up the bus and began our short 15 or so minute drive to the club.
View attachment 8918787
@HeyPeteCG
There's dozens of pictures over the years of the various teams when they arrive, but it was interesting how the bus got this quiet calm when we made the turn off the road and approached the guard house. Even in the rain, it was still an impressive sight.
View attachment 8918789
We pulled up to the clubhouse, unloaded, and made our way up to the room where breakfast was waiting. I grabbed some coffee along with a couple sliders. I know that several of my teammates can't believe my view on this, but (and don't misread what I'm typing)....the sliders are delicious, but I really think that they attain "heavenly" status because of where you're eating them.
After breakfast we were free to look around, hit the pro shop, and then get out to the carts and the range. I made a quick run through the pro shop, made a small purchase, and headed to the locker room to change shoes and get to the range.
View attachment 8918790
@zbeekner4 already had the cart over at the range, so once I found our cart, was able to finally see our new Fusion 14 bags with our screen names on them. They were nice enough to put plastic sheeting over the tops of the bags to try and keep everything dry. As I was digging through all my new clubs, I noticed that my 9i and 52* wedge was missing. Talked to Tyler and he said that they would try to overnight them to me so I could have it Thursday. Twelve sets of brand new clubs built and driven 3 hrs to the desert...if everything had been absolutely perfect, I would have been astonished. So, it was no big deal, and they were doing everything they could to get it taken care of. So, that day I just had two minor gaps and my set was 8i - PW - AW - 56*. As I'm not a fantastic golfer, I don't have distances dialed in like many others on the team, so it wasn't a huge deal and I actually did well (I think) of filling in the gaps.
Got a few clubs out and walked over to an open spot on the range to start warming up. After a few swings of the driver that were less than stellar, Danny (Hideaway host) walked up and offered some advise about my swing. He had some good things to suggest and I feel like it helped me to refocus on the key things of my swing. Semi lessons from Nick and Danny in back to back days...can't say that I can complain about that.
View attachment 8918791
@zbeekner4 rolling a few putts.
View attachment 8918793
As the time to start approached, we were all called together to get the rundown for the day.
View attachment 8918794
View attachment 8918795
Zack was my partner for the first day, and I felt comfortable knowing that I had someone that could keep us in it when my shots went too crazy. He was very considerate and offered feedback on shots if I wanted it, but didn't push it, which is always a downer when someone tries to point out everything you did wrong. Zack was the opposite. Always was supportive and cheered all the good shots, even though there weren't as many as hoped on the front nine.
We were paired up with @TylerSheanCG and @Backfordstabber. We knew we'd have our hands full as they are both long hitters. I came out with some really good shots / putts on the first two holes (we started on 17) to up 2 in best ball, then we struggled a bit on the front with shamble, but came back around on the rest of the back to win the point for that 9.
View attachment 8918796
View attachment 8918797
View attachment 8918798
@Backfordstabber found himself in a precarious spot here...but made a great shot to get out, if I remember correctly.
View attachment 8918799
@zbeekner4 hit this shot and didn't disrupt a blade of grass
View attachment 8918800
Never a reason for anything other than a smile....
View attachment 8918801
View attachment 8918802
View attachment 8918803
View attachment 8918804
We finished up the 18 and everyone gathered back up for the horse race. This is something that even though Ian and I were out quickly, it was a blast to be part of. I hope this remains part of the Grandaddy in future years.
After the horse race and @bigskyirish's win, we headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. It was a great time of some Mexican food and just enjoying the people that were there. Pairings were announced for Thursday's singles match. I was matched up with @21Gonzo, and would be in the foursome with @McLovin and @JasonFinleyCG, so I'd get to witness the battle of the Captains.
It was a wet, but amazing day. Sun was on tap for Thursday, so I was looking forward to that, but sad that it had only been what seemed like a few minutes and we were nearing the end of our week. Can't thank THP and Callaway enough.
Day 3 - Hideaway
We knew that rain was imminent for Wednesday, but nothing was going to temper our excitement for getting to the Hideaway and experiencing everything that was in front of us. Luckily, I never had issues sleeping, but woke up at 5:30 am every morning. I'm actually surprised it wasn't earlier, but glad it was that time as several of the days I was able to call the family as they were heading to school. It was nice to have the two hours to just relax and take my time getting ready, and some time to try and catch up on the live thread. Many have said it, but it is so incredibly difficult to do much of anything in the live thread aside from posting what we were doing. There's very little down time and you try to use some of that to dig back through the thread and answer questions, but if someone didn't tag you, specifically, it was more than likely to get missed. Thankfully, now I'm having an opportunity to go back through it and read all the comments. Good stuff.
Today's scripting was a TM outfit, and it was very nice. The polo is very lightweight, and I could tell that it would be quick drying, based on how thin it was. The light blue 1/4 zip was thick enough to keep you warm, but not too heavy that you feel weighted down. I grabbed my rain jacket as well since we're expecting to get wet. I had brought some slacks, but opted to stick with shorts since the temps weren't supposed to get too low during the day, even with the rain.
We met down in the lobby and chatted for a bit until it was time to load up and head to the Hideaway.
View attachment 8918782
@zbeekner4 @JMB3 @clarkgriswold @radiman
View attachment 8918783
@HarryPotter @zbeekner4 @JMB3 @clarkgriswold
View attachment 8918785
@NoShanks
View attachment 8918786
@McLovin
Loaded up the bus and began our short 15 or so minute drive to the club.
View attachment 8918787
@HeyPeteCG
There's dozens of pictures over the years of the various teams when they arrive, but it was interesting how the bus got this quiet calm when we made the turn off the road and approached the guard house. Even in the rain, it was still an impressive sight.
View attachment 8918789
We pulled up to the clubhouse, unloaded, and made our way up to the room where breakfast was waiting. I grabbed some coffee along with a couple sliders. I know that several of my teammates can't believe my view on this, but (and don't misread what I'm typing)....the sliders are delicious, but I really think that they attain "heavenly" status because of where you're eating them.
After breakfast we were free to look around, hit the pro shop, and then get out to the carts and the range. I made a quick run through the pro shop, made a small purchase, and headed to the locker room to change shoes and get to the range.
View attachment 8918790
@zbeekner4 already had the cart over at the range, so once I found our cart, was able to finally see our new Fusion 14 bags with our screen names on them. They were nice enough to put plastic sheeting over the tops of the bags to try and keep everything dry. As I was digging through all my new clubs, I noticed that my 9i and 52* wedge was missing. Talked to Tyler and he said that they would try to overnight them to me so I could have it Thursday. Twelve sets of brand new clubs built and driven 3 hrs to the desert...if everything had been absolutely perfect, I would have been astonished. So, it was no big deal, and they were doing everything they could to get it taken care of. So, that day I just had two minor gaps and my set was 8i - PW - AW - 56*. As I'm not a fantastic golfer, I don't have distances dialed in like many others on the team, so it wasn't a huge deal and I actually did well (I think) of filling in the gaps.
Got a few clubs out and walked over to an open spot on the range to start warming up. After a few swings of the driver that were less than stellar, Danny (Hideaway host) walked up and offered some advise about my swing. He had some good things to suggest and I feel like it helped me to refocus on the key things of my swing. Semi lessons from Nick and Danny in back to back days...can't say that I can complain about that.
View attachment 8918791
@zbeekner4 rolling a few putts.
View attachment 8918793
As the time to start approached, we were all called together to get the rundown for the day.
View attachment 8918794
View attachment 8918795
Zack was my partner for the first day, and I felt comfortable knowing that I had someone that could keep us in it when my shots went too crazy. He was very considerate and offered feedback on shots if I wanted it, but didn't push it, which is always a downer when someone tries to point out everything you did wrong. Zack was the opposite. Always was supportive and cheered all the good shots, even though there weren't as many as hoped on the front nine.
We were paired up with @TylerSheanCG and @Backfordstabber. We knew we'd have our hands full as they are both long hitters. I came out with some really good shots / putts on the first two holes (we started on 17) to up 2 in best ball, then we struggled a bit on the front with shamble, but came back around on the rest of the back to win the point for that 9.
View attachment 8918796
View attachment 8918797
View attachment 8918798
@Backfordstabber found himself in a precarious spot here...but made a great shot to get out, if I remember correctly.
View attachment 8918799
@zbeekner4 hit this shot and didn't disrupt a blade of grass
View attachment 8918800
Never a reason for anything other than a smile....
View attachment 8918801
View attachment 8918802
View attachment 8918803
View attachment 8918804
We finished up the 18 and everyone gathered back up for the horse race. This is something that even though Ian and I were out quickly, it was a blast to be part of. I hope this remains part of the Grandaddy in future years.
After the horse race and @bigskyirish's win, we headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. It was a great time of some Mexican food and just enjoying the people that were there. Pairings were announced for Thursday's singles match. I was matched up with @21Gonzo, and would be in the foursome with @McLovin and @JasonFinleyCG, so I'd get to witness the battle of the Captains.
It was a wet, but amazing day. Sun was on tap for Thursday, so I was looking forward to that, but sad that it had only been what seemed like a few minutes and we were nearing the end of our week. Can't thank THP and Callaway enough.
Great recap, Spencer! You really killed the photos. Wish I had taken more selfies with the guys.